INTERVIEW WITH PROF. JOSE MARIA SISON ON CUBA AND THE PHILIPPINES AND THEIR PEOPLES
By Julia Camagong
Special Representative to Latin America
International League of Peoples’ Struggle
As special representative of the International League of Peoples’
Struggle, I wish to interview you both as the Chairperson of the ILPS
International Coordinating Committee and as the outstanding leader of
the Philippine national liberation movement, no less than the founding
chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Thank you for
agreeing to be interviewed.
1. The Philippines and Cuba belong to two different continents and are
thousands of miles from each other. But there is a certain closeness
between the Cuban and Filipino peoples. How do you describe it?
JMS: There is a strong sense of solidarity and empathy between the
Filipino and Cuban peoples because they have suffered under Spanish
colonialism and US imperialism and struggled against these two foreign
powers. They admire each other’s revolutionary struggles and victories.
The Filipino people are inspired by the great victory of the Cuban
people in liberating themselves from US imperialism and local
reactionary classes of big compradors and landlords represented by the
Batista regime.
I presume that there are a considerable number of Cubans with Filipino
ancestry because many Filipinos were brought in to work in the tobacco
industry, the “tabacaleros”. There were so many Filipinos that the Pinar
del Rio Province in Cuba was formerly called “Nueva Filipinas” in the
18th century. The Cubans called them “Chinos de Manila”.
Currently, the closeness of the Filipino and Cuban peoples is manifested
by the Philippine-Cuban Friendship in the Philippines. From year to
year, there are solidarity activities in the Philippines and cultural
exchanges between Cuba and the Philippines. Since the struggle of the
Filipino people against Marcos fascist dictatorship intensified in the
first half of the 1980s, the Cuban embassy has shown sympathy and
support for BAYAN and other organizations in the national democratic
movement of the people.
2. It can be said that the historical experiences and destinies of the
Cubans and Filipinos are intertwined. Can you explain further?
Spanish colonialism imposed on the Philippines and Cuba similar patterns
of theocratic rule, feudal economy and medieval culture. It used the
encomienda system, slavery and forced labor and feudal tributes to lay
the foundation of feudalism in both countries. Both the Cuban and the
Filipino people were able to liberate themselves from Spanish colonial
rule.
But the US intervened. As a rising modern imperialist power, the US
defeated Spanish colonialism in the American-Spanish war of 1898 and
grabbed Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines to impose US colonial rule
under the Paris Treaty of December 1898. Since then the Filipino and
Cuban peoples have been bound by a common desire to fight and defeat US
imperialism and its puppets. The Filipino people can learn a lot from
the Cuban people in liberating themselves from US domination and
maintaining their national independence and social system.
3. In your personal experience, how did the Cuban revolution led by
Fidel Castro first attract your attention and interest? How did your
interest grow subsequently?
JMS: While Fidel Castro and the Cuban revolutionaries were still in the
Sierra Maestra, their revolutionary struggle caught the attention of the
world and of course the student organization to which I belonged in the
University of the Philippines. Our organization was engaged in forming
study circles for the purpose of resuming the unfinished Philippine
revolution for national and social liberation against foreign and feudal
domination. Thus, we were attracted to the revolutionary struggle of
the Cuban people led by Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and other young people
like us.
We celebrated the victory of the Cuban revolution in 1959. We did so
with meetings and publishing articles about the Cuban revolution in the
Philippine Collegian, the student publication. We were further excited
by the end of feudal ownership of the haciendas and the dramatic
nationalization of the United Fruit and other US enterprises in the US.
We admired and we were inspired by the revolutionary actions taken
against US imperialism and the local reactionaries.
We were among the most enthusiastic in attending the film showings at
the Cuban embassy in Manila in 1961. The more the US ranted against the
Cuban revolution, the more we supported the just cause of the Cuban
revolution. We were outraged when the Philippine authorities, under US
orders, closed down the Cuban embassy.
4. Can you narrate and evaluate how the Cuban revolutionaries led by
Fidel Castro fought and won the revolution against the Batista regime.
How did they carry out the social revolution after the seizure of
political power?
JMS: The attack on the Moncada barracks was an important initiative by
the Cuban revolutionaries to signal the necessity and start of the armed
revolution. But it was the guerrilla warfare in Sierra Madre that broke
the back of the Batista regime. 5000 troops of the regime were defeated
there. We can say that the Cuban revolutionaries used the countryside
to mobilize the peasants and farm workers and have the room of maneuver
for building the revolutionary army. At the same time, the urban based
mass movement was growing and developing. Thus, it became possible to
bring down the Batista regime with a combination of a successful
rural-based guerrilla warfare and the urban based mass uprising which
welcomed the forces of Castro to Havana.
After the seizure of political power, the Cuban revolutionaries wanted
to carry the social revolution through to the end. Thus, they decided to
carry out a socialist revolution. For a certain period, Communist
cadres were trained for this purpose. The Cuban Communist Party was
established as the advanced detachment of the working class to lead the
Cuban people along the line of socialist revolution. Internal
preparations had to be made for the seizure of US enterprises. The
violent reaction of the US was anticipated. To augment the Cuban
revolution the Cuban CP raised the banner of proletarian
internationalism and established close relations with socialist
countries, including China and the Soviet Union.
5. What was your reaction when the US tried to overthrow the Cuban
revolutionary government with the use of an invasionary force at the Bay
of Pigs and assassination plots against Fidel Castro? And what did you
think of the Soviet emplacement of nuclear weapons in Cuba?
JMS: It was despicable and outrageous for the US government to have
organized the invasionary force that landed at the Bay of Pigs and to
have plotted several times the assassination of Comrade Fidel Castro. We
launched protest mass actions and publications against the US acts of
intervention and aggression against Cuba and the Cuban people.
On the whole, the emplacement of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba helped
to deter any full scale attack on Cuba by the US. Even when Khrushchev
withdrew the nuclear weapons, the US still could not make any full-scale
aggression or use nuclear weapons against Cuba because the US was bound
by agreement not to threaten Cuba with nuclear weapons and was strongly
reminded that the US military base in Turkey was also vulnerable to
Soviet retaliation.
6. In retrospect, what do you think of the break-up of Cuba-China relations in the 1960s and the subsequent developments?
JMS: I was immediately saddened when I first learned about it. There was
an issue about rice. And subsequently a range of ideological and
political issues arose. But the Filipino communists refrained from
siding with the Chinese side against the Cuban side although we sided
with the Chinese Communist Party against the Soviet party. We maintained
our high respect for the Cuban party, people and revolution and
refrained from any pronouncements against them.
7. What do you think of Che Guevara?
JMS: Comrade Che Guevara was an outstanding proletarian revolutionary
fighter and was a selfless revolutionary martyr. He exerted heroic
efforts to promote the world proletarian revolution and advance the
national liberation movements, especially in Latin America and Africa. I
admire his revolutionary spirit and deeds. These inspire the Filipino
revolutionaries.
8. What do you think of Cuban support for the African national liberation movements in the 1970s?
JMS: I have appreciated highly the support of Cuban revolutionaries to
the national liberation movements in Africa in the 1970s. The Cuban
comrades acted in the spirit of proletarian internationalism by helping
the African people liberate themselves from colonialism and by breaking
the capability of the South African reactionary army to engage in
aggression and thus causing the apartheid regime to ultimately weaken
and seek a compromise with the African National Congress.
9. What do you think of Cuban relations with China and Russia in current times?
JMS: Cuba can benefit from diplomatic and trade relations with China and
Russia. The two latter countries can also benefit from the relations.
They are formidable countries that can countervail the worst economic
impositions and aggressive acts of US imperialism and its NATO allies.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS economic bloc, in which
Russia and China are major partners, are counters to US imperialist
hegemony.
10. What do you like most about Cuba in socio-economic and political terms?
JMS: I admire most the determination and militancy of the Cuban
government and people in asserting, defending and promoting national
independence and in working and aspiring for socialism. They have made
great political, social, economic and cultural achievements despite the
so many decades of economic blockade and acts of aggression unleashed by
US imperialism.
11. Are there relations between Cuban and Philippine revolutionary organizations?
JMS: According to their respective publications, the Communist Party of
the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines
have relations with the Cuban Communist Party and other revolutionary
forces of the Cuban people.
12. In recent years, have you been involved in any movement to support the Cuban people?
JMS: Of course, I have stood in solidarity with the Cuban people on
major issues in defense of their national independence and social
system. The International League of Peoples’ Struggle of which I am the
Chairperson has supported the anti-imperialist and democratic positions
of Cuba. I have attended meetings and spoken for the freedom of the Cuba
5. I have been therefore very happy with the complete freedom of all 5.
They were all released ultimately because of the broad solidarity
support demanding their release.
13. Within the context of the ILPS, what is most significant about the Cuban revolution?
I have always said that the Cuban revolution is outstanding and unique.
It was a socialist revolution that arose not as the direct consequence
of a world war, different from Russia where the revolution occurred
during WWI and China and other countries where socialist revolutions
emerged as a result of WWII. If the Cuban people can make revolution
only 90 miles away from the beast, why cannot peoples elsewhere in the
world? The Cuban revolution is an inspiration to the people everywhere,
not just Latin America or Africa. When the revolutionary will of the
people is asserted and the correct line, strategy and tactics are
adopted, the revolution can advance and succeed in many parts of the
world.
14. What do you think of the normalization of the relations between the
US and Cuba? Do you think that Cuba can stand its ground in the
negotiations with US to complete the lifting of the embargo? And also do
you think that Cuba will be able to manage the entry of US companies,
their technology and their own ideas of modernization or even subversion
in more blatant language.
JMS: The normalization of diplomatic and trade relations between the US
and Cuba is welcome. Such relations should exist between countries,
irrespective of their respective ideology or social system. I believe
that Cuba can stand its ground in negotiations with the US. It has the
principles and the revolutionary experience to uphold Cuban national
independence and work out the normalization of diplomatic and trade
relations. The Cuban president Raul Castro is highly principled and
competent. He enjoys the support of the Cuban people and Fidel Castro.
With revolutionary principles and with the 59 years of combating and
countering US aggression, embargo, electronic propaganda and subversion,
the Cuban government and people should be able to stay vigilant and
adopt the policies and measures to control and direct the entry of US
companies and technology, counter imperialist ideas of modernization and
prevent the subversion and destruction of their national independence
and socialist aspirations.
15. Should not the US give up Guantanamo and what should be done to pressure the US to give it up?
JMS: Certainly, the US should give up its military base in Guantanamo.
The Cuban people and Cuban government should demand the dismantling of
that military base in Guantanamo. The US is holding Guantanamo in
violation of Cuban sovereignty and territorial integrity. The people of
the world should support the Cuban people in this regard.
It is not too difficult for the US to give up Guantanamo. The British
gave up Hong Kong. The US gave up Taiwan in principle under the
one-China policy. Under pressure from the Filipino people, even the
Philippine puppet government was able to reduce the perpetual lease
agreement covering US military bases and reservations to only 25 years
in 1966. The US also gave up its military bases in Thailand soon after
the Vietnam War.
16. Have you ever been to Cuba? When and under what circumstances? If so, what places did you visit?
JMS: Yes, Julie and I were in Cuba in 1988. We came from Nicaragua to
observe the progress of the Sandinista revolution. We met leaders of
government, trade unions, women, youth and other sectors of Cuba
society. We visited many places in and around Havana and went as far as
the vicinity of the US military base in Guantanamo.
17. You are known to be able to sing? Do you know any Cuban song from memory? Can you sing it.?
JMS: I can sing Guantanamera both in the Spanish original and my Tagalog
translation of it. I can sing both versions now, especially if you join
me. I have a CD recording of the song. It is on my website: www.josemariasion.org
18. Why do you like Guantanamera much that you have memorized it and you sing it even on CD?
JMS: I like Guantanamera because the lyrics written by Cuban
revolutionary patriot Jose Marti are beautiful in a lyrical and
metaphorical way and is full of revolutionary meaning. And the rhythmic
music is very lively. You can dance to it. Now, let us sing it.
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